Our weather here in Portland has been a bit cold compared to what we are used to. I moved here from Iowa to escape two things: the humidity of the summer and the winter.  See, Portland does not have winter.  Locals may disagree, but grow up in the Arctic Tundra of Northwest Iowa – and you would say Portland winters are more like Midwest falls.  I mean, negative 100 degrees during a winter may sound fun …. until you have to deal with frostbite on your hands after walking six blocks from school to home – and I ran most of it.  Reheating hands in cool water has a burn you cannot imagine.  But, I digress.

In Portland, it rains.  It may snow for a week, but rarely does it really get below 32 degrees.  The last three days, it has been between 0-15 degrees windchill.  And, I have decided I hate my old house in weather like this.  When it is 45 degrees outside, the drafts aren’t that bad.  When it is 12 degrees with an east wind you can feel from across the room in the living room, it gives me flashbacks to growing up….except it was colder.

What is funny about this situation?  Going to the store.  People have clearly gone to to store to stock up on supplies as though we will be buried in snow and unable to leave their houses.  I went to the store today and found shelved cleared of essentials.  It was the middle of the afternoon, and the store looked like it was a Sunday evening before the start of the work week – about 10 times the amount of people.  Fucking insane.  I mean, it’s colder than normal outside, but seeing no clouds and the sun would indicate nothing will keep you from the store but you.  Meanwhile the rest of the country is getting snow dumped on them – and we have cold and sun.  I’ll take the cold and sun, thanks.